She nods, but her eyes are troubled. “You can’t leave now. Your father couldn’t bear to lose you again.”
My eyes flicker to Galinor’s, guilt heavy in my heart. He takes my hand.
“I must save him if I can,” I say to Mother. “You understand that, don’t you?”
“Of course I do. This is exactly what Ergmin said you are to do?” Her eyes search mine, and then she looks away, taking a shaky breath. “Yes, you must go.”
I stare at the list in my hands. It will kill Father if I leave, but it will kill me to watch him suffer.
I hug Mother tight. “I promise I will fix this.”
“Promise you’ll come back.” She catches hold of me before I leave. With tears in her eyes, she brushes a few stray hairs away from my face. “Know how much I love you. Never doubt it.”
She clutches me as if she can’t bear to let me go—it feels like a final goodbye. I hate that she doesn’t trust I will return. I give her one last squeeze and then let her go.
It’smidday when we leave the manor. Danver sits on my lap and Pika follows behind. I try to tell the glasseln to stay, but like always, it’s no use.
Thankfully, she and Danver hang back when we reach the king’s city.
The castle feels empty without Irving and Marigold. I’m greeted by several people, but in a way, I feel like an intruder.
I knock on the herbalist’s door, and the door swings open almost immediately. On the other side stands Dontel, an older man with graying hair and kind eyes.
“Anwen!” He ushers us inside. “Have Irving and Marigold returned? I haven’t seen them.”
“They’re in Glendon,” I answer, pulling the parchment from my satchel. “But I’m hoping you can tell me where to find all this.”
Dontel scratches his chin as he reads over the list. “Hmmm.”
I’m impatient to leave even though we’ve only just arrived. “Well?”
“Kember carrots are simply wild carrots—they grow almost everywhere. Field potatoes can be obtained in any market. Water root grows in freshwater stream banks—it’s more abundant in the northern regions, however.” He looks down at the list again. “I have dried pansley, but none fresh.”
I sigh. The room is hot from the fire, and it smells like herbs and beeswax. Several concoctions cool on the bench. I wonder how Dontel can stand the smell. Perhaps you don’t notice when you’re in it all day.
“I think it will need to be exactly as it is on the list,” I say.
Dontel nods. “It’s native to Coppel. You may be able to find it there, though it’s already late in the season.”
“What about the iktar beast?” Galinor asks.
Dontel frowns. “You’ll only find them up north, in Errinton.”
I cringe. Of course Ergmin would send us for something that can only be found in the rockiest, coldest, most desolate of the known kingdoms.
The herbalist frowns at the list before he gives it back. “I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.”
“You were helpful,” I assure him.
“We’ll go to Coppel first,” Galinor says. “And we’ll look for the other ingredients on the way.”
Dontel wishes us luck, and we leave his quarters. Almost to the main gates, we are stopped by Marigold’s maid, Maria.
“Lady Anwen!” she declares, rushing forward. “Have you heard from Marigold? She has been gone so long.”
I smile at the girl. “She is well, and I believe she will return soon.”
Maria’s eyes drift to Galinor—as all female’s eyes seem to do.
